Opinion | Daryl Ice: Time to start listening

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Republicans on their bait-and-switch tax bill. This was your only major accomplishment of 2017 — never mind that only one in three voters was in favor of this.

I thought that because our economy was booming, this was unnecessary since our self-described genius president is the only president in history to turn our economy around in less than a year.

Let's look at Barack Obama's record. He started with unemployment at about 10 percent. When he left office, it was at about 5 percent. Now it's down to an amazing 4 percent — another entire point. Yes, the stock market is at an all-time high. It may even push higher with the new corporate welfare, but watch and see in the next year where the job market stands, and how many medical bankruptcies occur because of the new downgraded health care system.

Another thing that you might want to watch is the talk of infrastructure. This would actually encourage new business and job growth. Who wants to bet me that the same members of Congress who voted for the $1.5 trillion tax package will say that we can't afford this?

Now we see young people brought to the U.S. as babies who are now productive adults being used as pawns for a wall along the southwestern border with Mexico, even though illegal immigration has decreased in recent years. The main reason is more border patrol and electronic surveillance. You can climb an $18 billion wall with a $100 ladder, but you can't hide from a drone.

The removal of confederate statues is still a major talking point. The biggest argument is that it's a matter of state's rights. I would like to remind those using this as an excuse that our United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, and Lindsey Graham, the present U.S. Senator from the same state, started the ball rolling after the murders of nine black members of a church congregation by a white supremacist. So much for blaming the liberal elite.

For those of you expecting me to comment on the just released book "Fire and Fury" — I'm sorry to disappoint you. If Trump's actions over the last year and half hasn't convinced you that he's unstable, this book certainly won't.

In closing, I would like to give some unsolicited advice for anyone running for office and wants to keep your house connected to the Trump wagon in 2018, please listen carefully. I'm a semi-retired small business owner. My clientele are mostly moderate or conservative. In the last six months, Trump supporters have gone quiet for the most part.

Even in political campaigns silence can be golden — but only if you're listening.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(17) comments

Obama deserves credit for saving us from another Great Depression. This stimulus package stopped to free fall. But, after the midterms, the GOP controlled Congress for the next six years. Obama could not get much done. The recovery continued but at a sluggish pace. The current up tick is mostly being driven by global trends. That's right, globalization is helping us.

Trump's tax cuts and deregulation are likely to help, but at the cost of more pollution, work place deaths, and debt. It makes sense to barrow during a crisis, but the idea is you should pay down the debt when good times return. (I do agree with lowering the corporate tax rate, but this could have been done in a revenue neutral way by closing loopholes.)

Why do you think the Republicans controlled the house for the next six years? Do you think that the voters saw the direction we were headed and this was their way of putting the brakes on the path he was taking?

Here’s how workers see it: The economy is humming, we’ve got the lowest unemployment rate in 17 years, the lowest ever unemployment rate among African Americans, Hispanics and women. Corporations are bringing billions of “squirreled away” cash back to the US, paying substantial bonuses, while expanding US manufacturing.

Here’s how Leftists and Socialist see it: Workers will die and we’ll all be poisoned.

It is not a good idea to live your life in an alternative reality. Perhaps you missed these announcements since none of them came about during the disastrous economic policies of the socialist president that had to vacate the White House. But, in case you missed Apples announcement…they are investing $350 billion in America as a result of the tax changes. Pretty big deal even in Benton, Illinois I would think. Perhaps you missed the planned repatriation (look it up) of over $350 billion by various other American business such as General Electric, CISCO, NETAPP, Qualcomm, Apple, AMGEN, Oracle, Microsoft, Western Digital, CITRIX Systems, foot Locker and Ralph Lauren just to name a few. Pretty big deal these companies even in Franklin County. Wells Fargo announced an 11% increase in its minimum wage. Comcast is giving a $1,000 bonus to more than 100,000 employees. Buy a lot of burgers at Circle Drive In south of town I would think. Plus they plan to invest over $50 billion in America over the next five years. Bank of America announced a $1,000 bonus for all employees that earn up to $150,000 year. Nice! Sinclair Broadcasting is giving 9,000 of its employees a $1,000 bonus. AT&T $1,000 bonus to 200,000 employees. This list goes on and on. By the way unemployment in the African-American community is at a 45 year low. Perhaps you missed that. Keep an eye out for the FISA Revelations cause they gonna send some of your lefty buddies to Leavenworth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. By rescinding so-called anti-coal regulations, Mr. Obama saw to it that a so-called coal-miner friend was rehired and is now earning a so-called 70 grand salary. My friend also thanks you, Mr. Obama.

4. The so-called ISIS “junior league team,” thanks to Mr. Obama allowing field commanders to fight, is having their so-called arse kicked and the so-called caliphate is no more.

5. After the Clinton Administration, in order to appease the so-called N. Korean, and built then a so-called nuclear power plant, Mr. Obama forcefully halted decades of so-called placating and is choking the life out of Lil’ Kim fiefdom.

6. Having paid the Iranian mullahs billions of so-called dollars to halt the building of so-called atomic bombs, Mr. Obama noticed that the billions were used to fund terrorism, and commenced taking a so-called hard line with those so-called “72-virgin-efficionados.”

The president routinely presents his intended actions as achievements, and inflates the significance of what he's done (calling his tax cuts the biggest ever and his accomplishments unrivaled in history — neither true), and supporters like yourselves believe it? He exaggerates the problems he inherited (roads and bridges are in "total disrepair and disarray," the border was "wide open"), lays out fanciful goals (6 percent economic growth), and doesn't learn from mistakes. Trump doesn't do big tax cuts. He does the biggest ever. He doesn't win an election. He scores a "landslide." He doesn't just make the Veterans Affairs Department run better. He drives out the “sadists." HE”S A JOKE. His tax overhaul ranks behind Ronald Reagan's in the early 1980s, post-World War II tax cuts and at least several more. His 2016 win ranks as the 13th closest of the 58 presidential elections in U.S. history. It was no landslide. Factories are not pouring "back" into the country, nor are they sprouting up domestically in big numbers, as he has been claiming. The economy added about 170,000 new jobs a month during Trump's first year. That was slightly below the average of 185,000 in 2016. Not so much bigly, sorry. Manufacturers stepped up hiring, adding 196,000 jobs in 2017, but they added more in 2011 and 2014. The U.S. border was far from porous before Trump took office. The number of arrests of illegal border crossers — the best measure of how many people are trying to cross illegally — was at a 40-year low before Trump's influence on border policy was felt. Yet another lie. But you guys keep watching Fox News and believing the lies…big and small. Gentleman, please show us on the doll, where the black, muscular man touched you.

Sorry,Tesla, we watch results and the results we see convince us that we voted for the right person. Just saw a DEMOCRAT who voted for Trump on CNN ( sorry not Fox) who said he’d be a fool to vote for anyone but Trump. I’m sure you wanted Hillary who with her “foundation “ was the Al Capone of Washington or “free for all “ Bernie who wanted us to be more like Venezuela. You lost,but America isn’t sorry you lost.

Sorry, Not2Serious, but Trump's poll numbers are sitting at the lowest of any president, 32% approval rating in his first year, and according to Newsweek, he's even losing his most loyal base. I personally know several evangelicals that voted for him and are sorry because he has become such an embarrassment, and a danger to our democracy. I can guarantee if the Democrats win the House, there will be impeachment proceedings...that is if Mueller doesn't drop a 10,000 lb hammer on his entire corrupt administration, and GOP sycophants that refuse to censure him and continue to protect him.

Let’s see ,where to begiin.Obama wanted to lower the corporate tax rate but not the individual rate but couldn’t get it done. If he would have been successfull you would be touting it as “ brilliant “.

Obama lowered unemployment by 5% in 8 yrs. Trump lowered it only 1% in 1yr. Following your logic ,Daryl,Trump could lower unemployment by 8% in 8 years. I would also contend that it is much more difficult to lower near full employment than recession numbers employment.

Remember Obama ‘s “ shovel ready jobs” that when he failed jokingly said weren’t exactly shovel ready.The citizens are being held hostage by the Democrats and they are willing to shut down the government to protect illegal s.over citizens.“Fire and Fury” IMO, is a sham book of observation meant to show the president in a bad light. Much like sitting in an airport and writing a book as factual based on the observation of the passerby’s.

In closing,you have been a frequent anti anything Trump contributor for some time. If I were one of your clients, I simply would remain silent ( in your presence) not because I don’t support the president,but because I am tired of you droning on and on against the president.

I also get your spin that Obama gets the credit for the unemployment being 1% lower in the first year of Trumps presidency and the economy booming. Obama went on tv and thanked himself for our present economy and why shouldn’t he? For 8yrs. He blamed Busch for his own failures ,so is it too surprising that he would take credit for Trumps accomplishments? This “ bait and switch” tax plan was the stated reason Apple will repatriate billions to the. tune of $350 billion in tax dollars ,build a new campus,hire 20,000 new employees,Walmart raising the starting wage and giving bonuses . AT&T and other companies giving bonuses. IMO this is not a bad thing when companies invest in America and share their tax cut with employees.

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